Alexander Hamilton George Compton
'Alexander Hamilton George Compton, 27th Duke of New York '(born 11 April 3236) is a Terran politician and soldier who is the incumbent Duke of New York, and served as Minister of War for the Republic from 3276 to 3287. While having the dynastic name and surname Compton, he is several generations removed from the main House of Compton. He is descended from George Alexander Hamilton, the 1st Duke of New York and second son of Emperor Sebastian I of the United States, just as the Compton emperors of the Terran Empire are descended directly from the American imperial line. He has worked in the military and in the defence bureaucracy all of his adult working life, and served as Secretary of the Army in the early 3270s. Prior to government service, he was an officer in the Terran Imperial Army. Early life and education Alexander Hamilton George Compton was born on April 11th, 3236 to Alexander Edward Compton, Count of Long Island, and Theresa Flannery at his parents' home in Sag Harbor, Long Island. His father was the heir to the 26th Duke of New York, Edward James Compton, who had served in the Terran Imperial Army as a field marshal and had commanded ground forces during the Cruxite War. His father had also served in the Army as a Colonel in command of a mechanized walker unit. His mother was a socialite in upper Long Island and came from a family of bankers. Alexander Hamilton George was privately tutored until the age of 16, where he attended the prestigious Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut for college preparation. He attended Choate from 3252 to 3254. He attended Columbia Law School at Columbia University from August 3254 to April 3256, initially aiming for a Juris Doctor degree, but he instead changed his focus to public policy and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. He took a sabbatical for military service in 3256. Military career Alexander Hamilton George Compton enlisted in the Imperial Army in July 3256, after earning his undergraduate degree. He received Army basic and infantry school training, and went through leadership courses throughout late 3256. He then began studies in January 3257 at the Military Academy at West Point, New York to earn an officer's commission. He also took studies in public policy, statistics, and systems engineering. He graduated in May 3260 with a commission as a Lieutenant and a billet as an adjutant to General Bartleby Pryce of the 10th Infantry Corps, stationed in the Cassiopeian Frontier. In December 3260, he was promoted to Captain, and to Major in July 3261. In September 3262 he was promoted again to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed General Pryce's chief adjutant. He continued to serve in this capacity until January 3265, when he received an appointment as the lead Aide-de-Camp to the Army Chief of Staff. Later that year, the Great War began and his role served as an important organising and administrative force in the Army headquarters. He served there until 3269, when he was nominated as the next Secretary of the Army. His father died in 3266 after having been recalled for field service and then dying in battle. His grandfather, the Duke of New York, died in 3267, and Alexander Hamilton George acceded to the dukedom while still serving as the lead Aide-de-Camp. Government service Secretary of the Army The massive successes of the Imperial military in the 3260s in swiftly assaulting the Soviets and knocking them out of the war proved the value of the complex, but flexible general staff in organising broad war plans and laying them upon field commanders for local execution. The Duke of New York was recognised and decorated for his minute detail in these plans, accounting for economic obstacles as well as geographic and logistical issues. He was the architect of the initial 3265 "blitz" into Soviet border worlds and of the strategically successful Khoz campaign. His superior nominated him in a meeting of the Imperial cabinet and war council to be the next Secretary of the Army. The present Secretary, Otto von Randheim, was retiring after having been Secretary for thirty years. Emperor Maximilian Charles I appointed his very-distant cousin Secretary of the Army on 4 July 3269. The Duke accepted immediately and departed his staff position while retaining his commission. He served in the capacity of Secretary until 3272, being succeeded by his deputy secretary, Countess Gertrude von Witzleben. During this time, the Duke married Courtney Hollins-Rockwell, a judge in New York City. His wife would, incidentally, hold the judgeship of the Crown Court of New York in 3273 when Dr. Seilon was tried and convicted in media-engulfed criminal trials. The Duke's tenure as Secretary of the Army saw the continued streamlining of the general staff and the civilian administrative agencies for the military. The extensive cooperation between the two led to the smooth operation of the war effort and hastened the destruction of the Soviets and the FIGN. Vice Minister of War After the death of Frederick Rycon in late October 3270, the vacant position of Minister of War was filled by his son and heir Philip Peregrine Rycon. The successes of the Duke of New York in managing the Army were recognised and he was appointed Vice Minister of War in December 3270, replacing Rumimaro, 33rd Duke Konoe. Together, Rycon and the Duke of New York managed the administrative elements of the war ministry, cooperating with the general staff on war policy and material procurement to maximise the effectiveness of the Terran armed forces. While favouring the Army, he recognised the vital role of the Space and Air arms. He and War Minister Rycon were appointed to the Confederate Assembly and served on its War Committee, and helped to coordinate the Terran military with that of its confederates. He organised the day-to-day running of the ministry and worked extensively with the Imperial General Staff, Confederate High Command, and Allied Command Staff to organise the final victory in February 3275. He successfully implemented the policy of planetary evaluation and bombardment, called also the Beaumont Doctrine, expanding beyond the original suggestions of General Beaumont. He served in this role until the end of the war. When the Confederation was reformed as the Republic in April 3275, he continued to serve as the Vice Minister of the new War ministry. With the first appropriation bill passed during the first session of the 1st Central Galactic Congress, the Ministry of War was greatly expanded. Philip Rycon resigned his office as Minister of War and instead was appointed First Consul and Prime Minister. The Duke of New York was nominated for the office of Minister of War on 3 February 3276. He was affirmed by Congress and appointed by Chancellor Maximilian on 6 February. He resigned his commission in the Army and became a civilian. Minister of War The Duke of New York continued his methods of statistical analysis and efficiency-oriented planning as Minister of War. He also continued the extensive working relationship with the Joint Military Staff. Several general officers in the JMS were appointed to political and administrative positions in the Ministry, creating overlap of the institutions and streamlining areas of responsibility. He asserted, nonetheless, the civilian oversight of the military and the overall chain of command through him as the Chancellor's chief military adviser. His ministry put into place programs to modernise and expand the newly-minted Union Armed Forces. Rather than pare down on its size and demobilise forces, the Ministry of War instead committed vast funds to developing new armour and weapons and doubling the size of the Army. The Ministry of War under the Duke of New York implemented an organisational structure that placed the military under both geographic commands and mission-based high commands that crossed geographic boundaries. The largest of which became Joint Forces Command, responsible for the overall command and control of expeditionary troops. The Duke of New York instituted major procurement programs for aerospace projects, including the Tigershark fighter-bomber and the Dreadnought class space battleship. His expansions were criticised by some, but are now seen as having been vital in the creation of a functioning, Galactic military. The increasing scale of the Magellanic War has proven the value of the Duke's policies. The consensus among analysts is that demobilisation in 3275 would have severely curtailed the Republic's warfighting capabilities. In late 3286, Chancellor Maximilian came under pressure from a fiscal-conservative faction in Congress that viewed the Duke of New York's advocacy of massive military spending as a drain on the Republic's economy, especially the development of a large expeditionary force for the Army. These criticisms compelled the Duke to tender his resignation rather than let his chief executive be subject to political invective. He resigned his office in January 3287, and was replaced by Liu Calvin.